A FORMER rector of Hartlebury and chaplain to the Bishop of Worcester has died aged 81.

Rev Harry McClatchey died of pneumonia after a long illness.

Mr McClatchey was born in 1920 and educated at Merchant Taylors School, Liverpool, and Brasenose College, Oxford, where he read theology, before he served in the Navy during the war.

He also founded the appointments office at Trinity College, Dublin, and went on to work for Shell in Lagos, Jakarta and London before his ordination in 1967.

After serving his curacy at St Mary the Less Church in Southwark, he became vicar of Escomb and Witton Park in Durham where he later became chaplain to the Bishop of Durham.

In 1974 he moved to the Worcester diocese with wife Diana where he became chaplain to Bishop Robin Woods and the rector of Hartlebury.

His wife also had strong links in the parish and worked heavily in the Wilden area, as well as being adviser for women's ministry in the diocese.

Mr McClatchey retired from parish ministry in 1986 and moved to Malvern.

Former Hartlebury parishioner Caroline Boughton said: "His particular skill was the ability to preach on several levels at once so that each member of the congregation could leave church feeling the sermon was meant for him or her alone."

Mr McClatchey, whose funeral was held in Malvern on Monday, leaves a widow Diana, children Brigid, Joanna and Robert and two grandchildren.